Toyota will no longer sell the Land Cruiser model in America after 2021. The new J300 is still available in Lexus. Like many others, we had a soft corner for this big, friendly SUV. No one bought it. The Land Cruiser is too big and inefficient. At nearly $90,000.000 it’s too expensive for Toyota SUV fans.
Toyota has not said that they are abandoning the Land Cruiser brand name. In their initial statement, Toyota said that they would “explore new products that celebrate Land Cruiser’s rich history of off-road driving” and encouraged enthusiasts to “stay tuned for future developments.” These future developments could happen faster than expected — possibly as early as the model year 2024. Here’s everything you need to be aware of.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid Review
Toyota hasn’t announced yet that the Land Cruiser will return to America. They aren’t ruling it out, but they have not announced anything yet. Jack Hollis told Motortrend that it was “likely”, the Land Cruiser would be back at some point, though nothing had been announced yet.
You may be surprised to learn that it is sooner than you think. TFL reported, citing Toyota sources, that the Land Cruiser brand will return to America in 2024. It’s not the J300. It’s the new, smaller Land Cruiser Prado that is sold in America under the Lexus GX. Rumors from the Japanese website Creative Trends, as spotted by Car Expert, claim that the Land Cruiser Prado is to be renamed Land Cruiser 250 in the next generation. The model’s release is delayed until April 2024, but they do note that the vehicle could be headed to North America.
Creative Trends suggests that the Land Cruiser will get a modified version of the TNGA F body-on-frame platform. This platform will be lighter and more rigid than that of the Lexus GX. TFL reported, as was expected for the GX, that the new Land Cruiser will get the same 2.4-liter Hybrid Max engine used in other Toyota Crown models. This powertrain would produce around 340-350 horsepower and 400-lb.-ft. of torque. (Not that far from the 381-hp and 401-lb.-ft. of torque) that the 2021 Land Cruiser with its 5.7-liter v8 had.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Hybrid Release Date & Price
This new Land Cruiser will not be the flagship model. It would be positioned below the new Sequoia, and above the 4Runner. Starting in the $50,000s is the perfect price for the GX. Lexus sells 30,000 GXs per year, despite the fact that it was last redesigned in 2009. The Land Cruiser would be more off-road (hopefully, with a better angle of approach than the GX), allowing the Lexus GX a more luxurious and Lexus-like feel.
The 4Runner is likely to be positioned below the Land Cruiser, with a 2.4-liter gas engine that produces 275 horsepower as the base powertrain. If Toyota has top-secret plans to bring back the Land Cruiser, this would explain why it appears that the new 4Runner is so delayed.